Yatagarasu's New Beginning
by EmeraldWings1992
Summary: A young boy is orphaned having witnessed his parents murder and the murderer walked free. Six years later, a troubled kid and budding thief, he meets Kay Faraday, the one person who can help him not only avenge his parent's death, but also gain the power to steal the truth when it is hidden. Can Kay help him though, or will her own inexperience get in the way? FINISHED
1. The Beginning

**A/N:** Another story, this time not a cross over! I love the Yatagarasu and Kay, so I decided to write something about them! WolfieRed23 gave me the idea of what Robin should look like.

Also, I'm sorry for how long this took to get up and going. It's a combination of getting my life started (ugh, I hate adulting), and just feeling unmotivated to write(not a good thing for someone looking to go into video game _writing_ ). The thought of you, my fans, and PeirceTheVeils finishing their fanfiction, "Rebirth," is what kicked me into gear though. By the way, "Rebirth" is amazing. Seriously. Go read it. Especially if you want more Yatagarasu goodness.

Well, enough rambling. Here we go!

…

Chapter One: The Beginning

 _Six Years Ago_

"Ready or not, here I come!" a middle-aged man called, pulling his hands from in front of his eyes and looking around the living room. He sat in a thick, comfy recliner, having just finished counting to a hundred. His eyes traveled from the entertainment stand – _Not there_ – to the floor length curtain – _No little feet. He's learning_ – to the door that led to the hallway. _If he's not in here, he must be somewhere else in the house_.

With a soft groan, he stood and stretched before walking towards the hallway in hunt for his son. They played hide-and-go-seek every night, and the little boy was rapidly getting good – and creative – with hiding.

"Hm…" the man hummed as he looked around, his eyes raking over the door that lead to the front yard, the one that lead into the kitchen, the stairs, and the final exit from the hall, the door into the closet. Nodding to himself, he took two steps towards the closet, just as there was a knock on the door.

"Coming!" he called, turning away from his destination and towards the front door. "Hello?" he asked, opening it and looking up at the unexpected guest. His wife poked her head out the kitchen to see who it was. "Oh, hey. What's up?" the man said, stepping back to let the guest in.

The guest raised a handgun equipped with a silencer, pointing it at the man's chest.

"Whoa, hey, what are you doing, Pa—" With a soft _pew_ of rushing air, the man gasped in pain. His legs buckled, and he crumpled to the ground, red starting to bloom on his white clad chest.

His wife's scream was cut off by another _pew_ of air. She too, crumpled to the ground, her arms wrapped around her stomach as her orange shirt started to turn red. Their killer shook his head before looking around the house. He closed the door and stepped over his victims, seeming to search for something. He started upstairs, but came up empty handed. With a disgusted shake of his head, he searched downstairs as well, finally opening the door to the closet in the hallway.

"About time, Da…ddy?" a young voice said. The killer jumped back in surprise, raising his gun at the new person in the house. He stopped himself before he shot though, taking in the appearance of a six year old boy, his wild, black curls sticking up in every direction thanks to static electricity from being pressed against an old, fleece jacket for almost twenty minutes.

"Who are you? Where's Mommy and Daddy?" the boy asked, stepping out of the closet and looking around. His eyes fell onto his parents' prone bodies, and he gasped. "Mommy! Daddy!" he cried, running over to them. He first shook his mother's shoulder, before pulling on his father's arm. He then turned towards the killer. "Did you do this?" he asked in a soft, whimpering voice. Even at his age, he understood that his parents were dead. The man scoffed, raising his gun to point at the boy.

"Yes. Your father has a big mouth, little boy. He was going to snitch on me. Are you going to snitch on me?" he asked, tipping his head to the side. The boy's eyes were drawn to the gun, understanding and fear spiking through him as he realized the implementation of the man's words.

"N-no…" he whimpered.

"Good. Because if you do, I will find you. And I will kill you," the man growled. The little boy sniffled, tears welling in his eyes. He nodded to show his understanding. "Now run, little boy. And never look back."

The boy rose to his feet, backing away from the man, before turning and running out of the house and down the street on shaky legs, his eyes brimming with tears.

Not once did he look back.

…

 **A/N:** Sooooo… I'm evil. Hehe. I know it's short, but it's just set up for what's to come.


	2. The Yatagarasu

**A/N:** And here we go with the second chapter! Kay is 26 here. Also, hope you don't mind, but I'll be alternating chapters with POV between Kay and one of my OCs.

…

Chapter Two: The Yatagarasu's Heir

 _Ten Years Later – Kay's POV_

"Exxan Gas and Oil company," I muttered to myself, looking around the lobby of the building I had just snuck into. I was able to use Little Thief to find an unlocked window to climb through without tripping an alarm. Now to find and steal the truth. "Let's see what you got," I smirked, adjusting my gloves before pulling Little Thief out of the pouch on my belt and studying a blueprint of the building I had pulled up on the screen.

I ghosted forward, thankful I had finally realized a hot pink shirt, a pleated skirt, and heeled boots weren't good for breaking and entering. I now wore a cute black quarter sleeve top, black jeans, and soft soled sneakers. I kept the gloves and scarf (with my Yatagarasu badge), and added a belt and a black book bag to carry my equipment, such as rope, Little Thief, and a stun baton. I also had one of my father's blue scarves with the cloud motif tied around my arm to complete the picture. All of this combined made me a quieter, less visible, and more prepared Great Thief.

I checked Little Thief again, carefully entering a staircase and working my way up to the twentieth floor, where I would find the CEO's office. Exxan Gas and Oil was one of the biggest gas companies – companies in LA in general – meaning they also had one of the biggest buildings in the city.

I stopped just before the door to the CEO's office. Two guards were down the hall, their backs to me. I knew, however, that they would soon turn and walk back down this way. I had maybe five minutes to get in, find what I needed, then get out. I took a deep breath.

Here we go.

I gently put my hand on the door and turned the knob.

 _BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP!_

I lurched back at the sudden, ear shattering alarm that erupted all around me. Red lights burst to life all along the hall. I quickly looked around, it taking me a second to realize what happened.

I set off an alarm.

"Damn!" I hissed, turning and taking off down the hall in the opposite direction of the two guards.

"Intruder! Don't let her get away!"

"Double damn," I hissed, first checking Little Thief – _Quickest escape route: the roof!_ – before shoving it back into my belt, checking that my scarf was covering my mouth and nose, and whipping out the stun baton.

I would use it only when necessary.

I swung myself back into the staircase, and right into the chest of a guard who was coming out of the staircase.

"Gotcha!" he crowed.

"Triple damn!" I growled before stepping back and swinging the baton, bringing it down on the muscle between his neck and shoulder. He gasped and fell backwards, his entire arm going limp. I shoved him even further back and darted up the steps, taking three at a time. Any guard coming down was dodged or hit. Either way, they fell down the steps behind me, slowing any pursuers from that direction.

Finally, I reached the door to the roof and slammed my shoulder into it, throwing it open. Pulling inspiration from a kid I met a few years back, I pulled a folded square of large cloth and some bungee chords from my bag and quickly attached the chords to the cloth.

Just as the door opened again, spitting guards onto the roof, I reached the edge. With a smirk, I turned to them, my back to the edge and winked.

Then I jumped.

Keeping a tight grip on the bungee chords, I let the cloth fly loose. It quickly unfolded, revealing the makeshift parachute I had crafted on the run. I heard yelling from the roof above and sirens from the streets from below.

Time to disappear.

I somehow made it into an ally way and rolled as I landed to avoid injury. Once on my feet, I quickly folded the cloth up, shoving it back into my bag. I then adjusted my scarf to make it look more like a fashion statement laying loosely around my neck, threw on the pink hoodie I carried in my bag, removed my gloves, and pulled my thick, black hair out of the high pony tail it was in, letting it cascade down my shoulders and back.

Within seconds, I looked totally different. That wasn't enough, however. I needed to hide or blend in. I walked swiftly, looking around, until I spotted an familiar, old, beat up police cruiser in the parking lot of a grocery store.

Making sure no other police cars were around, I ducked into the doors and headed straight for the soup aisle.

There, I found my favorite Homicide detective riffling through the instant noodles. I walked over, picking up a pack of noodles from his cart.

"Careful, Gummy. All this sodium will make your blood pressure spike," I said teasingly, leaning against a shelf next to him. He jumped, whipping around.

"Kay!" he said, his face breaking into the adorkable grin of his. "What are you doing here?" he asked, looking around for a second shopping cart.

"Oh, you know. I was in the neighborhood. Kind of need to lay low…" I said with a grin. He huffed, that grin turning into a just as adorable frown-pout.

"Did you break into somewhere again?" he demanded. I laughed, standing up straight and tossing the packet of instant noodles from one hand to another.

"Now what would give you that idea?" I asked innocently. He sighed.

"Kay… one of these days, you're going to get caught," he said, taking the noodles from me and tossing them into his cart before exiting the aisle. I followed after him with a shrug.

"Hey, I have the same goals as you and Mr. Edgeworth. Just different methods," I retorted, looking around as we walked past the produce section. My eyes were immediately drawn to a teen, probably around sixteen, who was studying the apples. He was dressed in a black hoodie, jeans, and sneakers (not unlike my own outfit), with dark, curly hair barely contained by a ratty, beat up fedora. His brown eyes had a dark, almost haunted look to them, and he was skinny – painfully so. His long, thin fingers picked at the apples tensely as his eyes darted around.

Suddenly, in a blink of the eye, two apples vanished from the cart and into his pockets. I smiled slightly.

"Nice slight of hand, kid," I breathed, wishing I had his talent when I was his age. Gumshoe looked over.

"Did you – HEY!" he yelled, seeing the kid shove a handful of loose peanuts into his pocket. The kid quickly looked up, his eyes wide, before he made a dash towards the door.

…

 **A/N:** And I will end here! I figured that once Kay grew up, she'd realize the value of being less visible and more prepared.

The kid she mentioned getting inspiration for the parachute is Luke from one of my earlier stories, "The Professor's Apprentice." Basically, Luke was living in Kurain with his parents, and after they were kidnapped, he parachuted off the mountain to escape. Kay found him hiding under his makeshift parachute.


	3. The Robin

**A/N:** MOMENTUM! ONWARD! Finally we get fully introduced to Robin! He is 16 here.

…

Chapter Three: The Robin

 _Robin's POV_

Hunger. Maddening, gnawing, motivating, hunger.

This was the reason I found myself in the grocery store.

I usually try not to steal, but sometimes, my body didn't quite listen to my brain. I was hungry, and I needed something in my stomach.

I slipped quietly into the store, avoiding catching anyone's attention. I knew that if I acted like I belonged there, I wouldn't be suspicious.

But I also knew that my appearance claimed that I didn't belong anywhere but in an alleyway.

The smell of dumpster mixed with BO probably didn't help.

Ignoring the disgusted glances, I made my way over to the produce section, mainly the apples.

I love apples. Preferably fresh ones. Apple cores are pretty tasty in a pinch though.

I studied the apples, searching for the two best looking ones. Before long, I sensed a pair of eyes on me, but I ignored those too.

Avoid eye contact. Something I learned pretty quickly, living on the streets.

Just because I don't like to steal and tried not to doesn't mean I don't know how. Once I found the perfect apples, I slipped them into my hoodie in a blink of the eye. I then moved over to the large box of peanuts, knowing that I needed protein. I carefully scooped up a handful and shoved them into my pocket.

"HEY!" a voice suddenly yelled. I looked up, my eyes widening, to see a man and a woman looking straight at me. My eyes were drawn to a pin on the woman's scarf, a three legged raven, before I noticed what was in the large man's hand.

A police badge.

 _Damn!_ I thought, turning and darting towards the door.

"Stop that kid!" the man yelled. A few people made a grab for me, but I managed to dodge their arms and got out into the parking lot. I dashed towards the road, dodging between cars, and ran hard and fast down the street. My body protested, considering I was running on empty, but I pushed it anyways.

If the cops caught me, they'd take me to jail. They might do a lie detector test on me.

They might realize who I am.

They might make me _snitch_.

This cop was persistent, though, and he kept up pretty well for a man his age and size. I saw no sign of the woman anywhere, but if that badge on her scarf meant what I thought it did, then that didn't mean a thing. I glanced once over my shoulder before diving into an abandoned apartment building. I had traveled through here many times before and knew it by heart. I knew exactly where to step and where would fall through. The cop didn't.

Not ten minutes into the chase through the building, I heard _CRUNCH_ from behind me. I glanced back, hoping he was okay, before getting out a back entrance and running a little longer.

Finally sure I had lost him, I collapsed onto the curb of the street and pulled out one of my apples, devouring it, seeds, core, stem and all.

It was the best tasting thing ever. It was the ambrosia of the gods. It was the nectar from the fountain of youth. It was—

I choked on one of the seeds. Standing, across the street from me, was a man who haunted my sleeping and waking nightmares. He was probably about six feet tall, with sandy, short hair slicked back off of his strong, square face, with piercing black eyes that had a killer's look.

He saw me. I suddenly felt six again. Images, words, smells, and feelings all invaded my senses.

 _Blood._

 _Snitch._

 _Mommy and Daddy._

 _Snitch._

 _Dead._

 _Snitch._

 _A gun._

 _SNITCH._

 _The silencer._

 _ **SNITCH.**_

I sprang to my feet and ran, hard and fast. I was cold and shivering. Tears of fear welled up in my eyes, and I felt short of breath.

 _Now run, little boy. And never look back._

I did look back. I looked back to see if he was following me.

He was.

A whimper escaped me, and I quickly looked forward again. Hide. I need to hide. I need somewhere to hide.

An underground garage. I dove down the ramp and jumped the gate. The space between the gate and the roof was slim. It would be impossible for a man his size to fit, but for a half-starved kid like myself, it was cake.

I turned a corner, the first corner I came to, just in case he had a gun, and ran deeper into the garage.

This late at night, there was only one car left. A very nice, sporty red one. Sure I had lost the man who haunted me, I leaned against it, panting hard. In the run, I had lost my second apple and all but one peanut.

With a dejected groan, I slid down the car, leaning my back against the driver's side door and cracking open this peanut.

If I ever make it back to my alleyway, maybe I can rummage through the dumpster again. Hopefully there will be something…

...

"May I help you?" A voice suddenly asked from above. My head shot up, and I only just realized I had dozed off against the shiny red car.

Oh man, hopefully I didn't dirty it up…

The man who stood above me wore an impeccable salmon colored suit with a white frilly thing at his neck. He peered over his wire framed glasses at me, his silver hair sweeping forward, slightly covering his gray eyes.

I quickly stood, ignoring the slight dizzy spell from lack of food and moving to fast, and moved away from what I was guessing was his car.

"N-no… sorry," I said before quickly running off. Thankfully, he didn't follow me, thought I felt those gray eyes on me until I turned a corner.

Finally, I found a way out of the parking garage and made my way back to my alleyway, where I knew a cardboard box and a pile of blankets were waiting for me.

…

 **A/N:** And here's the end of this chapter! Poor Robin.

But you got to see a little bit of a certain Chief Prosecutor here!


	4. DX-7

**A/N** : Here's the next chapter! By the way, I just realized I never had Gumshoe say "pal" in chapter two.

What in the world is WRONG with me!?

Also, I REALLY messed up. Robin is supposed to be 16 here, and he was 6 in the first chapter. It's supposed to be ten years later… I'll go through and fix that…

What happened was that I was originally going to have him be 12, but I decided that's a little too young…

…

Chapter Four: DX-7

 _Kay's POV_

I followed after Gumshoe on his chase after the kid, and it was a good thing I did. I found Gumshoe stuck in an abandoned apartment building, up to his chest in a hole through the floor.

"You okay, Gummy?" I asked, crouching in front of him. He scowled up at me.

"Do I LOOK okay, pal?" he demanded. I covered my mouth with my hand, trying not to laugh, before taking one of his arms and pulling.

Slowly, but surely, I got him out of the hole, and we exited the building. He sighed.

"We lost him."

"Yep. Looks that way," I said, putting my arms behind my head and looking up at the night sky. The stars were invisible, thanks to all the lights around us, but I liked to imagine they were still up there.

"Well, pal, I'm going to go back and pay for my food. What about you?" he asked, looking over at me.

"I'm going to head back to my apartment and catch some Z's," I said, dropping my arms and looking over. "I'll see you later, 'kay?" I said. He smiled.

"Alright. Be careful," he said, waving as we went our separate ways. I shook my head, pushing my hands into my pockets, deep in thought as I walked back home. My mind kept bouncing back and forth between Exxan and that kid.

When that kid saw my badge, it was like something clicked in him. He recognized it, and it _meant_ something to him. In fact, I saw a little of myself in him, back when I had first discovered my father had been the Yatagarasu.

Exxan was definitely hiding something. Their database was so encrypted, it wasn't even funny. It doesn't help that my coding/hacking skills amounted to looking things up on Google and hoping I didn't break anything…

Oh well. Exxan was part of a pretty big case ten years ago. Maybe Mr. Edgeworth will know something…

…

The next morning, I got up bright and early, got dressed, and headed to the Prosecutor's building. The secretary didn't even bat an eye as I walked in.

"Hi Kay. Here to see Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth?" she asked.

I smiled. "Am I that predictable?" I asked.

"Well, that's the only reason you come here," she replied, laughing. "Careful though. He's in one of his 'pensive' moods again. He was also the last to leave last night and the first to arrive this morning," she explained. I laughed.

"How is that any different then normal?" I asked, stepping onto the elevator. The doors closed before she could answer, and I was whisked away to the top floor. I walked up to his door and knocked.

"Enter," he called from inside. I walked in to find the prosecutor in his desk chair, his back to the door as he faced the window. He held a cup of tea in his hand as he stared out over the city. His desk was messy for once, covered in files he had been reviewing. I walked over and looked at one.

"'DX-7'," I read. "Which case is this, Mr. Edgeworth?" I asked. He glanced over his shoulder before turning fully, setting the teacup down.

"Kay. Gumshoe told me you were out again last night," he said. I shrugged with a smile.

"I was trying to steal the truth behind Exxan," I explained. He shook his head, making a tsking noise.

"Didn't go as planned?" he asked, holding up a newspaper. I took it, glancing down at the headline.

 _Break In at Exxan. The Yatagarasu at it again?_ Below that was a bird's eye view of my parachute. Thankfully, I was hidden by it.

"Eh. It's a work in progress," I replied, handing the paper back to him. He shook his head before looking down at the files in front of him.

"Ironic that we both should be looking into the same company," Mr. Edgeworth said. I started slightly before looking down at the files again.

"DX-7… is that the case from ten years ago?" I asked.

"The double homicide? Yes," he said, handing me a different file. I looked over the pictures. It had been a married couple, I remember that.

"The man was shot in the chest a point blank, just in front of the door. His wife was shot in the stomach from about five meters away. None of the neighbors heard gun shots, ergo, the shooter knocked on the door, which was opened by the man, and he had a silencer. Their son, Robin Trio, was never found," he explained.

"Is there a picture of Robin?" I asked, curious. Mr. Edgeworth nodded, handing one over. I gasped.

Grinning up at me, his dark curls a mess and his brown eyes happy rather then haunted, was the same guy I saw in the grocery store. Mr. Edgeworth steepled his fingers and looked at me curiously.

"You look as though you've seen a ghost, Kay," he remarked. I nodded, sitting.

"I might have. There was a kid last night, probably around sixteen, who was at the grocery store. He looks like an older version of this kid," I explained. Mr. Edgeworth smirked.

"Was he wearing mostly black with a ratty fedora?" he asked. I stared at him in shock.

"Yeah… how do you know that?" I asked.

"When I went to my car last night, that same exact kid was asleep against it." His face became serious. "He was half starved though. He didn't look healthy at all, to be honest. And… it seemed as though he was in danger. Or at least, he believed so."

"Perhaps," I said, looking back at the files. "Was anyone ever arrested for the murder?"

"Unfortunately, no. One man, Patro Lium, was charged, but there was no conclusive evidence against him, so the charges were dropped." He shook his head with a shrug. "I had been in Europe at the time, so I don't know exactly how the case went. The sheer fact that it's still open means that Wright wasn't on the defense though," he said with a smile. I chuckled at that.

"That's true," I replied. "Plus, it says Marvin Grossberg here under 'Defense Attorney,' so…" I trailed off. Mr. Edgeworth simply shrugged again, before looking at me.

"So, Kay, what is your interest in Exxan?" he asked.

"I am pretty sure they've been lying about their impact on the environment. As you know, all gas companies are supposed to stay within a certain paradigm. I believe Exxan is not," I explained.

"All of their reports and tests say otherwise," Mr. Edgeworth stated. I smiled.

"True. However, their employees tend to disappear, gas leaks in homes that use Exxan seem to be more deadly, all of their tests are done internally, and their database is more encrypted then it really needs to be," I said. "Ergo, based on this evidence, I believe something fishy is going on, and I believe is has to do with their environmental impact," I finished, mimicking Mr. Edgeworth's tone during his logical deductions. Mr. Edgeworth thought about it, nodding slightly to himself, before looking down at the case files in front of him.

"Perhaps that's it," he said.

"What's it?"

"The motivation behind this double homicide. Mr. Trio was an employee for Exxan, and if that's the case, then Robin is in a lot of danger," he said. I frowned, quickly standing.

"Right."

"Kay? What are you doing?" Mr. Edgeworth asked, looking up at me. I smiled back at him.

"I'm going to find this Robin and help him. Even if it means breaking into Exxan again," I explained, reaching up and fingering the badge on my scarf. "That's the Yatagarasu's purpose, after all."

…

 **A/N:** And here's to another ending. Just an info dump, basically, but a vitally important info dump! By the way, anyone notice that Exxan is supposed to be Exon? Hehe.


	5. Exxan Gas and Oil

**A/N:** What's this? Kay and Robin finally meet? HUZZAH!

…

Chapter Five: Exxan Gas and Oil

 _Robin's POV_

The next morning, I managed to find a bag of slightly moldy bagels in the trash. Once I picked off the green spots, they were pretty good, not to mention filling.

But of course they were filling. Bread had to be one of the most filling foods of all time. I then wondered around the city, deep in thought.

I've had hallucinations and dreams of meeting my parents' killer and him chasing me, especially when I was hungry, but last night was different. Last night was _real_.

But why though? This was the first time I'd ever met the man since that night ten years ago, and I never snitched on him. That's why he was still walking free.

A scowl crossed my face, and I kicked a rock in my path.

My parents' killer was a free man. No justice had been served. Anger pulsed through me at the thought. He walked free, all because I was a coward.

Before I knew it, I was standing in front of the police station. I even took a step towards the door.

My boiling blood turned to ice, and I froze. I was even having a harder time breathing, and I suddenly felt very cold.

 _Your father has a big mouth, little boy. He was going to_ _ **snitch**_ _on me. Are you going to_ _ **snitch**_ _on me?_

I lurched backwards, the bagels rolling in my stomach.

I can't do this.

They would know.

 _They would know_.

I turned and ran, fear and shame surging through me. I didn't stop until I reached one of my regular haunts: a cyber café.

I knew that it wasn't just the man who killed my parents who were in on their deaths. It was the entire company. Exxan Gas and Oil, where my father had worked before his death. Even if that one man was bought to justice, the entire company would still be free to do as it pleased.

The company needed to be bought to justice.

And I needed to figure out why that man was chasing me last night.

I walked into the café and over to one of the computers in the back, not visible from the front desk on the window. It was a self sufficient café, where you're supposed to put in your credit card information so it can charge you for how long you're on the computer. I, however, had a gift.

I could hack things. Lines of code, senseless to everyone else, was like a map to me. I could read and understand it perfectly, and after reading a lot of coding books at the library, even manipulate it.

A few key strokes later, I was on the computer for free. I navigated quickly to Exxan's website and stared at it for a few minutes.

First thing's first: I needed to figure out who that man chasing me was. I searched through the employee directory (there was even pictures!), until I found him.

A square face with slicked back, sandy blond hair, and chilling black eyes. I shuddered and glanced to the left of the picture.

 _Patro Lium._

 _Head of Security._

 _plium_

 _Ext. 2825_

Having a name to put to the man made him slightly less scary.

Slightly.

"Okay, Mr. Lium," I muttered, "Let's see your emails." I navigated to the email client before going into the source code for that. It wasn't hard to break into emails, once you had the address. My finger's flew, until finally, I could see his inbox.

I quickly skimmed through the subject lines, searching for any that popped out.

One did.

 _The Trio Case_

I clicked on it, reading the contents of the newest email.

 _Mr. Lium,_

 _I know it's been ten years since you've heard about this case, but I have come to the decision that it's time to eliminate the boy. You should have done it ten years ago. You know leaving a witness is bad. We're lucky he hasn't stepped forward or been found._

 _It's time to find him though, and finally put this case to rest once and for all. No one will miss a homeless rat, so as long as there's no witnesses, you'll be fine._

 _We can't risk an information leak, especially since you never found Trio's evidence that he was going to take to the police._

 _Good luck, and happy hunting._

There was no name at the bottom.

My heart slammed against my chest, and I had to swallow hard. My throat was dry.

A quick glance at the date told me this email was sent the other day, with high importance, too. That's why he was actually chasing me last night.

They were going to have me killed too.

My stomach lurched, and it was all I could do to hold down the food. I needed information. I needed to know what it was that Dad was going to hand over to the police. Even though Lium never found it, there was no doubt that it was long gone. After all, that house was sold ten years ago, and the buyers totally gutted it and fully remodeled (not that there was anything wrong with that house. Assholes).

Which means I needed to go to the source. But how could someone like me—

The badge on that woman's scarf flashed before my eyes. A three legged raven. The Yatagarasu. Stealer of truth. I smiled, closing my eyes and remembering a saying I once heard about the Yatagarasu.

 _Even in the depths of night, when no other bird dares to take flight, one alone soars to shine the light of righteousness on the world's blight. The Great Thief, Yatagarasu!_

I was no Yatagarasu, but maybe it was time to take flight myself.

New determination rolled through me, and I turned back towards the computer, my fingers flying over the keyboard. I know it wasn't just my parents who were killed. Exxan employees had a tendency to die or vanish all the time.

Was it because they got too close to the truth?

Once I had everything I needed, I sent it all to the printer. I then walked over to the counter and casually picked up a few flash drives, slipping them into my pockets.

I would need them for tonight.

I swung by the printer, picking up the directory list, the blue prints, and the security schematic I found, before logging off the computer and walking out of the building. I had some planning and "shopping" to do before tonight.

…

Breaking in was a lot harder then I thought. Security was much tighter tonight then schematic said, so that was basically pointless. Either way, I managed to stay undetected. I even found my way to the stairs, which I took quickly, but silently.

Finally, I found the CEO's office. Unfortunately, there were guards stationed all around it.

"Damn," I hissed, before pulling the blueprints out and studying them. The roof, a potential entrance, was probably swarming with guards.

There was, however, another room on this same floor that had a window. Maybe I could use that to my advantage.

I found my way to the room and carefully opened the window. There was a nice, large ledge that I could easily use. One more glance at my blue prints, I shoved them into my pocket and climbed out onto the ledge, pressing my back against the building. The wind whipped around me, stealing my fedora and blowing it away. I almost made the mistake of looking after it, but somehow managed not to. Instead, I looked up at the sky and took a few deep breaths to calm my nerves. I then began to inch to the left, away from the open window, and towards the one that would lead into the CEO's office.

Every time I passed a window, I glanced in to make sure there were no guards. I only had to wait once or twice before I finally made it to my destination.

Carefully, I pushed open the window and slipped inside the CEO's office. The computer was still on, glowing faintly. I moved to it quickly, pulling out a flash drive and plugging it into the computer. I then began to hack.

Step One – log in. I didn't have the password, but I got in just as easily as I did the emails back at the cyber café.

Step Two – find the files I need. A quick search of the computer, and some guesses at what the files might be called, and I found as much as I could.

Step Three – copy them to the flash drive. This would take a little bit of time, considering the amount of files I found. While I waited, a searched the large, oak desk for anything of interest.

I didn't find anything, and after glancing at the computer (29% Copied), I stood to move towards the bookshelf.

A shadow passed over the window. I dove under the desk, silently cursing my bad luck.

From under the desk, all I could see of this new intruder was their soft soled, black sneakers and the hem of a pair of black jeans. I peeked out and up, taking in a woman somewhere in her twenties, with long, black hair pulled back. She was wearing mostly black, with a splash of dark blue at her neck and on her arm. My eyes narrowed slightly as I watched her at the bookshelf, searching for something.

She suddenly froze, her hand dropping to a stun baton on her belt. Before I could move back under the desk, she whirled around, whipping the baton out and pointing it at me. I froze, staring up into her dark green eyes, before my own eyes dropped to the splash of gold on her scarf.

A badge. The three legged raven symbol of the Yatagarasu.

"Ah. I knew you'd come here, sooner or later," she said, putting the baton away.

"What?" I asked. "How?"

"A Great Thief's intuition," she replied. Although her scarf hid her mouth and nose, I could tell from her eyes and tone that she was smirking.

Not knowing what to say, I turned back to the computer, checking on the progress.

Thankfully, it was complete.

"Look, um… Miss. Yatagarasu? I have enough evidence here, so I think we should be going…" I said, stepping towards the door and putting my hand on the knob.

"No, wait, don't—" she cried, darting forward, just as I turned the knob.

 _BEEEBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP!_

I flinched back, staring around as red lights burst to life in the office.

"Damn it!" she said, grabbing my arm in one hand and whipping her baton back out in the other. She threw her shoulder against the door, slamming it open, and dragged me after her, taking turns at random. I could hear plenty of footsteps from all directions as I stumbled after the Great Thief.

She took a wrong turn. We hit a dead end. We both turned towards the guard's chasing after us.

"Now what?" I demanded. Her green eyes flickered between me, the way we had just come, and the walls around us, before lighting on something.

"The air vent!" she said, pointing up. I followed her finger. There was an AC vent near the ceiling. I nodded once, and she leaned her back against the wall, threading her fingers together. I ran over, putting my foot in her hands, and she boosted me up to where I could reach the vent (was I really that light?). I quickly opened it, and started to pull myself up.

 _BANG!_

Pain. White, hot, pain slammed into me, and I fell sideways, hitting the floor.

I always thought getting shot would feel like being stabbed in that one spot.

No.

It was like getting hit with a wrecking ball.

I managed to not black out and looked up. My right hand was gingerly – and instinctually – holding my left bicep.

Oh.

I guess that's where I was shot.

I looked past that, to the man coming towards me. Darkness was starting to invade the edges of my sight, but I pushed it away.

Blond hair, a square face, and those chilling, black eyes swam into focus. Lium reached down and into my pockets. I weakly struggled against him, but he back handed me hard across the face. My head snapped to the side, and I laid there limply. The darkness was becoming too powerful. I couldn't fight it much longer. Why was the ground spinning?

Lium stood up straight and smirked down at me, just as everything went black.

…

 **A/N:** Aaaaaaaand… another cliff hanger! Yay!

You all hate me, I know. Hehe.


	6. The Doctor's Help

**A/N:** And here we go again! Next chapter!

…

Chapter Six: The Doctor's Help

 _Kay's POV_

"Get away from him!" I yelled, swinging my baton and slamming it into the head of the man bent over Robin. He gasped in pain, stumbling, and I swooped down, grabbing Robin's prone body. He moaned in pain as I jolted his wounded arm, but it was either that, or let him die.

This guy must have been pretty full of himself. The other guards had dispersed, so I'm guessing he sent them away. I hauled Robin onto my back (he was way to light for a sixteen year old guy), and ran like hell, until finally, I found an exit.

Police sirens could be heard from all over. I needed to vanish. Robin needed a hospital.

I pulled out my cell and called the one person I could think of.

" _Hello?"_

"Mr. Edgeworth? Hi. Where are you?" I replied.

" _Kay? It's one in the morn… are those sirens I hear?_ "

"Please, Mr. Edgeworth, I need your help," I pleaded.

" _Kay, I can not come bail—"_

"That's not it!" I yelled. Robin let out another moan as I ran. I glanced back at him. "I know, I know. Please, just hang in there," I said soothingly.

" _Kay?_ "

"Look, I broke into Exxan again. Robin was there already. He set off an alarm, we got out, but he was shot in the arm. Please, Mr. Edgeworth," I quickly explained. "He's unconscious." Just then, I noticed the left side of my back and my left shoulder were warm and sticky. "And he's in pain, and loosing a lot of blood. Please."

" _Where are you?_ " he demanded, and a smile of relief broke across my face. I could tell he had that scary glare/look of determination on his face.

"I'll meet you at Tres Bien," I said, realizing we were close to the faux French restaurant that was anything but 'tres bien.'

" _I'll be there soon._ "

…

Once I got to the restaurant, I carried Robin out back and laid him down. His face was a startling shade of white, and his breathing was quick and shallow. I quickly dug in my bag for my first aid kit and got to work on stopping the blood.

Apparently, putting pressure on a bullet wound while a bullet is still in there is a bad idea. As soon as I did, Robin cried out in pain and writhed under me.

"Sorry, sorry!" I gasped, yanking my hands back. He fell still again, and I bit my lip, not knowing what to do at this point.

"Kay?" I heard Mr. Edgeworth call my name.

"Back here!" I yelled back before looking at Robin again. I gasped softly when noticing his eyes open slightly. Mr. Edgeworth jogged up behind me and saw the condition of Robin.

"My god…" he breathed, before shaking his head, stooping down and picking the kid up. Robin whimpered in pain. "We need to get him to the hospital."

"No… hos…pital…" Robin managed to gasp out. Mr. Edgeworth looked at him in surprise.

"What?" he demanded.

"P…please…" Robin's head rolled onto his shoulder. I looked at Mr. Edgeworth, wondering what he wanted to do. He looked back at me, then sighed.

"Come on. I know someone we can call to help," he said, turning on his heel and walking back to his car. I smiled slightly and followed, hoping beyond hope that Robin will be okay.

I might not have known the boy long, but he was just a helpless kid with no one to help him. And I knew what it was like to be in his shoes. After all, I had lost my father at a young age to a corrupted world too.

…

One the drive back, Mr. Edgeworth called someone, asking him to come to his house. I sat in the back of the car with Robin's head on my lap. He had slipped back in the world of the unconscious, but I made sure he continued to breath and have a pulse.

Finally, we made it to Mr. Edgeworth's home, and he carried the boy inside, having me clear off the kitchen island, where he laid him down. A few moments later, there was a frantic knock on the door.

"Go get that, Kay," Edgeworth said, folding up a towel and placing it under Robin's head. I nodded and ran to the door, opening it. In front of me was a serious, older man, with short, black hair and bushy eyebrows. He wore a white and red top with a blue towel around his shoulders and a harmonica hanging from his neck. In his hand was a large surgeon bag.

"Um, hi?"

"Mr. Edgeworth called me about someone needing medical help?" he said.

"Oh! Yes, come in!" I said, stepping back. He rushed past me.

"Mr. Edgeworth?" he called.

"In here, Dr. Eldoon!" came the response.

"This way." I showed him the way. Once in the kitchen, the doctor rushed past me, dropping his bag next to the kitchen island, and studied Robin.

"This boy needs the hospital. Why isn't here there?" he demanded of Mr. Edgeworth.

"This boy has been missing for the last ten years, Doctor, and was a missing witness for a double homicide case that is still open. Of his parents. As soon as he's patched up, before he's fully recovered, the police will question him if we take him to the hospital You know how that kind of emotional stress will hinder his recovery," Mr. Edgeworth responded. The doctor softened slightly and nodded.

"Of course. You're right." He turned back to Robin. "At a glance, I can see that he is malnourished, with a single bullet wound to the left bicep. He hasn't lost as much blood as it seems, but his body is weak from the lack of nourishment. I need to remove the bullet and stop the bleeding." He turned to me. "Boil about three quarts of water." He turned to the older man. "Mr. Edgeworth, I need a lot of towels."

"Right," we both responded, going to our jobs. Because mine was still in the kitchen, Dr. Eldoon (not the same Eldoon who ran Eldoon's Noodles… right?) had me help with steadying Robin while he injected him with an anesthetic, as well as holding a flashlight and other tools he needed. Mr. Edgeworth returned with an armful of towels, one of which he immediately pressed against the bullet wound once the offending piece of metal was removed. Dr. Eldoon then wrapped up the wound once it was clean (the purpose of the boiling water) and stopped bleeding for the most part, and opted to stay to make sure his patient would make it.

I sighed. "Mr. Edgeworth… may I use your shower?" I asked. He looked over at me, surprised for a moment, before nodding.

"Of course."

"Thanks." I went upstairs, pulling my hair down as I went, and walked into his spacious bathroom. Once I was stripped out of my blood soaked clothes, I turned the water on and stepped under the stream, enjoying the feeling of the rushing water washing Robin's blood off of me. I heard the door open, the close again. Peeking out around the curtain, I found a towel waiting for me.

"Ah," I said softly, chuckling to myself. Once I was all clean, I wrapped myself in the towel and darted into the guest room, where I had same spare clothes. As I finished getting changed, I heard the water running again, and shook my head, guessing that Mr. Edgeworth decided to take one too.

There was a soft knock on my door. Opening it, I found Dr. Eldoon standing in the hall.

"Are you okay? Mr. Edgeworth said you were the one with Robin when he was shot," he asked. I smiled and nodded.

"Yeah. Just tired from all the excitement, heh," I admitted, running my fingers through my hair. He nodded.

"That makes sense. Get some sleep, Kay."

"What about Robin?"

"He'll be okay. I'm going to stay here tonight with him. He just needs some rest and food."

"Well… okay. Thank you, doctor," I said. He smiled with a nod and headed back down the steps. I looked over at the bed and smiled, closing the door and running over, belly flopping onto the bed with a chuckle.

It was so much more comfortable then my own.

Before I knew it, I was fast asleep.

…

The next morning, I got up a little later then usual and walked down stairs. Robin, covered now in a blanket, had been moved to the couch now that he wasn't bleeding everywhere (the last thing Mr. Edgeworth wanted was for his home to look like a crime scene). Dr. Eldoon was asleep in the recliner. I walked over to Robin, watching him sleep.

His head tossed this way and that, and he was muttering in his sleep, every once and a while letting out a soft cry for his parents. I sighed and sat on the floor next to his head, reaching up and pushing a few curls out of his face.

"Hey, kiddo. It's okay. I'm here," I said softly. This seemed to sooth him, so I continued to stroke his hair and mutter. The muttering soon turned to nonsense noises, but they seemed to sooth him all the same.

After about an hour, I heard Mr. Edgeworth and Dr. Eldoon moving around behind me.

"That's the calmest he's slept all night," Dr. Eldoon muttered to Mr. Edgeworth, who made a soft noise of acknowledgement. They fell quiet after that, moving into the kitchen. Not too long after that, Robin groaned. I smiled slightly in relief, pushing a stray curl behind his ear as he blinked his eyes open.

"Hm?" he muttered.

"Hey sleepy head. How do you feel?" I asked, keeping the same soft, soothing tone. He looked over at me, studying my eyes for a moment, before frowning down at his arm.

"Ow."

"Heh, I can imagine," I replied, trying not to laugh. He smiled weakly at me, and I couldn't help but smile back. He then shifted slightly, resulting in a hiss of pain escaping between his teeth.

"Dr. Eldoon, do you have anything for the pain?" I called, leaning back so as to not startle Robin. The old doctor came in with a glass of water and a bottle of pills.

"Yep. Here is some OxyContin. He's to take one every four hours when it's needed," he explained, giving Robin one now. I helped him sit up as he swallowed the pill. Dr. Eldoon then looked him over once more before nodding in satisfaction.

"He's out of the danger zone. Make sure he eats, though, or he'll have a bad relapse," he warned, looking between both me and Mr. Edgeworth. We nodded.

"Yes. Thank you, Doctor," Mr. Edgeworth said. I called my thanks over my shoulder as I darted into the kitchen to find something for Robin to eat. The boy muttered his thanks to the doctor as well as the man left the house. Mr. Edgeworth followed me, glancing back at Robin.

"Now what?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Where is he going to stay?"

"Oh." I looked at the toaster which was in the process of toasting some bread for Robin. I didn't really think about that, figuring we would just stay here. However, with Mr. Edgeworth's job, that wasn't really doable on a long term basis, and the doctor said it would take three months for Robin's arm to fully heal. I glanced back in at the boy, an odd emotion rolling over me. Protectiveness… and warmth. I turned to face Mr. Edgeworth.

"He'll stay with me. In my apartment."

…

 **A/N:** Well… Kay's attached! But will Robin return those feelings? We'll see!


	7. Checkmate

**A/N:** Here's another chapter. This one will be short! Or… it was supposed to be, before I decided to have Miles do Logic Chess on Robin… heh… Robin's attempt at a staring match is where the session starts. Remember, the chess pieces are in Edgeworth's imagination, so Robin wont see them.

Sorry for how long it took to post up. I had a REALLY hard time writing this.

It doesn't help that I REALLY want to write Professor Layton (*coughLukecough*) fanfiction. Doesn't help that I'm replaying the series in chronological order, and just finished playing _Last Specter_ and watching _Eternal Diva_ …

Anyways, onto the chapter!

…

Chapter Seven: Checkmate

 _Robin's POV_

The woman who was over me when I woke up came out of the kitchen, carrying a plate of toast with jam on it.

Thanks to the medicine that doctor gave me, I felt wrapped up in warm fuzz and like I was floating. However, that didn't stop my stomach from grumbling when I spotted the food.

"Here you go, Robin," she said, putting the plate in front of me, along with a glass of orange juice. I quickly reached forward, picking up the toast.

"Eat slowly," another person, the man who followed her into the kitchen, said as he leaned against the door frame, his arms crossed. I hesitated before nodded, taking small bites. After I finished the first piece, I realized something.

That woman's eyes had seemed familiar. I had seen them before.

I recognized them because they were the same as the thief – the Yatagarasu – I had met last night at Exxan.

"My name is Kay," she said, sitting on the couch next to me. "And that's Mr. Edgeworth." I looked up at the man before getting another surprise.

It was his car I had fallen asleep against the other night.

"Uh… sorry if I dirtied up your nice car," I apologized lamely. Mr. Edgeworth chuckled.

"It wouldn't be the first time I've had blood in my car."

"B-blood? I meant when I fell asleep against it…" I clarified. Kay snickered from next to me while Mr. Edgeworth jerked back slightly, looking surprise for a moment, before quickly recovering, adjusting his glasses.

"Right. Of course," he said. Kay snickered again while Mr. Edgeworth collected himself, and I ate the second piece of toast and sipped on the juice. Mr. Edgeworth sighed and came over, sitting in the chair across from the couch.

"Robin—"

"How do you know my name?" I demanded, just now realizing Kay had said my name as well.

"I am a prosecutor. While I wasn't on your parents' case, I have access to the files. After seeing you the other night, I looked into it again because of how familiar you looked," he explained. I froze, my brain trying to process that through the drug-induced fuzz. "Robin, you have to know your parent's killer is still at large. You were a witness. Your testimony would be vital to putting him or her away," Mr. Edgeworth explained. I continued to stare at him while my fuzzy brain caught up.

 _Snitch_ …

The word floated up through the fog, and I tried to jump up. Pain flared through the left side of my body, and the world spun, most likely due to the drug. I stumbled, and would have fallen, if it wasn't for Kay catching me, I would have hit the ground.

"Whoa! Easy!" Kay chided, lowering me back onto the couch. I closed my eyes, trying to breath through the pain. Mr. Edgeworth was watching me closely when I opened them again.

"Why did you try to run?" he asked. I clammed up, the drug, pain, and fear making it hard to think. If anything, though, I _knew_ I couldn't tell him the truth. Instead, I attempted to have a staring match with him. He smirked and shook his head, studying me for a few minutes as though collecting his thoughts. He then locked his eyes on me.

"Why did you break into Exxan last night?" he asked. I felt like I was being interrogated, but ignored the feeling. I was still trying to keep my fear in check.

"I... I wanted information. I needed to know—" I cut myself off. If I told him what I needed to know, someone as smart as him would put the pieces together easily. That would be snitching, wouldn't it?

"Needed to know what?" Mr. Edgeworth asked, latching onto my half a sentence. I panicked.

"Nothing. Nothing at all. What would a sixteen year old homeless kid like me have to do with a company like that?" Even as I spoke, I was mentally yelling at myself to stop, to shut up. Mr. Edgeworth shook his head.

"You had something to do with that company before you became homeless, Robin. Your father worked there before he passed away," he pointed out.

"W-well… I was six! That still has nothing to do with me… Dad never talked about work with me. I know nothing," I replied. It was the truth, after all. Mr. Edgeworth simply nodded, staying quiet. Waiting for me to make the next move, I'd imagine. I grasped at it.

"Look, Mr. Edgeworth, I'm... really tired. Can I go to sleep?" I asked. Mr. Edgeworth shook his head, and my heart dropped into my stomach.

"I'm sorry, Robin, but breaking and entering is a crime. If you wish to not go to jail, then I need to know what you were doing there."

"W-wait… jail? But I'm only sixteen… you can't try me as an adult… besides, it's not like I hurt anyone. I'm the one who got shot by—" I cut myself off, horror rolling through me as I realized what I was just about to do. These drugs were making it hard to focus… or was that my fear?

"Who did you get shot by, Robin? It's almost as though you know your attacker," Mr. Edgeworth demanded.

I jerked back, shivering hard. "I…" I nearly broke, but a fresh wave of horror rolled over me at the thought. "No! I… I don't know him! I've never seen him before in my life!" I took a few deep breaths, forcing myself to calm down. "I've never met the man who shot me until last night…"

Mr. Edgeworth nodded and seemed to collect his thoughts before smiling slightly at me.

"How about a change of topic? Why were you in that parking garage the other night? I know there are plenty of other warm places for someone in your position to sleep at night," Mr. Edgeworth said.

"Oh. Um. Well… I wasn't… that close to my usually places that night… and it was getting late…" I explained rather lamely. It was the truth, but…

"Why weren't you near your usual spots?"

I knew he was going to question that…

"Well, I was hungry… and I wanted something other then dumpster scraps, so… I went to the grocery store that night…" I explained. Again, truth.

"The grocery store is quite far from that specific parking garage. How did you end up there?"

"A cop chased me out of the store. I lost him in a condemned building," I explained. Mr. Edgeworth crossed his arms in thought, considering this information. He then looked at me again.

"There is only one condemned building in that area, and it's still quite the hike from there to that garage. So tell me, Robin, what happened after you lost him?" he asked. I bit my lip. This was the part I didn't want to talk about. Not now, not ever. I gripped my pant legs.

"W-well… I… um… hung out for a bit… ate one of my apples… and then found that parking garage," I explained, skipping over the chase. "I just wanted somewhere to sleep, and it seemed the most secure."

"Why did you pick somewhere so hard to get into to sleep, Robin? After all, unless you're skinny enough, and athletic enough, to jump the gate, one would need an ID card to get in there that time of night." He asked. I shrugged.

"I don't know. I just picked it. There was no specific reason…"

"You just said that you 'just wanted somewhere to sleep' and that it seemed 'the most secure.' Ergo, that tells me you looked specifically for a place to hide that not just anyone could get into!" he said, pointing at me.

"Huh!? No!" Damn it, I did just say that! "I just… why wouldn't I want somewhere secure to sleep?"

"That just seemed like a very specific way to word it. After all, I know most people in your position would prefer warmth and comfort rather then security. That parking garage offers neither warmth or comfort!" he pointed out.

I was in full panic mode at this point.

"I… I… I just picked a stupid place, okay!?" I snapped. Mr. Edgeworth, crossed his arms, watching me while he seemed to collect his thoughts. I fell quiet as well, taking a few deep breaths before looking away. "It was just a place to sleep. I'm sorry if I dirtied up your car in the process," I added with a hint of bitterness. Mr. Edgeworth seemed to ignore the tone.

"There wasn't even a speck of dirt on it, Robin. Do not worry about that. I just want to understand what's going on with you," he replied. I sighed.

"I was in the area, and I just wanted somewhere to sleep, that's all. I just happened to run by that building and decided it would be the best place.

"Run?" Mr. Edgeworth asked, and I realized my mistake a moment too late. "Why would you be running?"

"Um…" my brain stalled. "Exercise?"

"At that time of night, when you were looking for somewhere to sleep, with only an apple in your stomach? Robin, your story is falling apart," he pointed out, although his look showed more pity then anything else.

"Wha!? I… I just… you just can't…" I could feel my body shaking once more, but I was powerless to stop it. "I just needed somewhere safe to hide." The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them.

"Why did you need somewhere safe to hide?" Mr. Edgeworth asked – no, demanded.

"I…" I cast my mind around for the most believable like I could think of, until finally, I found one and seized it. "There are all kinds of creeps out there, and I'm just a young kid. Why wouldn't I need somewhere safe to hide?" I shot the question back at him. His eyebrows rose as he listened to my answer.

"You're saying you were afraid of a creep?" he asked, and I almost laughed at hearing a man of his stature using a word like 'creep.' His next words expelled that amusement though. "So you are actually admitting that you were hiding? If that were the case though, why don't you hide every night!?"

"I… uh… that… Sometimes it just… can't be helped!" I replied, knowing how weak an argument it sounded. Mr. Edgeworth didn't even respond, but that gave me time to collect my thoughts. I took a deep breath in another futile attempt to calm myself.

He was getting too close to the truth.

"I'm not always near a safe place once it gets late," I explained.

"Why don't you just stick to the safe places you find?" he asked. I shook my head.

"Well, I'm always moving to stay hidden."

"That seems a little odd," he mused.

 _It does?_

"I would think someone would stay somewhere safe if they were scared of creeps, rather then trying to stay hidden. It wasn't creeps you were hiding from, was it!?" he demanded, pointing once more at me. I hesitated, biting my lip.

"W-well… I… creeps are a real threat, you know…" I muttered, trying to stall for time to think of something. He didn't give me a chance.

"Robin, who were you hiding from that night?"

"I was hiding from creeps who would try to take advantage of me, that's all," I asserted. I knew now would be a dangerous time to change my story, even if I was freaking out like crazy on the inside.

It didn't help that my arm was throbbing again.

"Robin, someone in your position would want to stay somewhere _safe_ if it was from an everyday said you want to stay _hidden_ , which one wouldn't do from a threat like that," he pointed out.

"Wha!?" I gasped, realizing he was right. I dug myself a hole. I had to claw my way out. I just can't be a snitch!

I need to know the truth, Robin. I want to help you and bring your parent's killer to justice. You need to tell me everything!"

"I… I can't. I just… I can't snitch on him…"

"Robin, it's not snitching," Mr. Edgeworth said, and I flinched. Did I say that out loud? "It's telling the truth to bring justice about." He slammed his hand down on the coffee table between us, making my cop and plate rattle together. "I need the truth!"

"I… I…" I was desperate. I was shaking harder. My breathing felt short. My head spun. "Who said anything about snitching?"

"You just did! Who is it, Robin? Who are you protecting!?"

"Protecting…?" That was a strange way of putting it. "I'm not—"

"Allow me to answer you. You're protecting the killer of your parents. He threatened you, causing you to stay hidden all these years. Then, he saw you chased you the other night, prompting you to climb into the parking garage, where we first met. He works for Exxan, where your father worked, and you wanted to know why he killed your parents, so you broke into Exxan last night. Unfortunately, an alarm was triggered, and he found you and shot you in the arm," he explained.

He was right. He knew everything. He managed to pull all of that out of me, without my ever saying a word. But if I said yes now… if I admitted the truth…

Fear rolled over me. My head snapped up, tears clouding my eyes, as I stared at the man in front of me.

"No…" It was a weak denial. He didn't even blink. Suddenly, I found the words tumbling out of my mouth before I could stop them. "No! I can't snitch on him! He'll kill me!"

"Hmph. Checkmate." Mr. Edgeworth stood, walking away across the room for a box of tissues. Kay's arms suddenly wrapped around me, pulling my head close to her chest. I buried my face into her shirt, letting out ten long years worth of tears full of sadness and fear. I could vaguely hear Kay yelling at Mr. Edgeworth, but I couldn't tell what they were saying. Soon, the two fell quiet. I tried to stop crying, I really did, but I just couldn't help it.

I don't know how long it took before I finally pulled back slightly from Kay. She had a tissue ready and waiting in her hand, and wiped my eyes gently with it.

"It'll be okay," she muttered soothingly. I blinked up in surprise at her. This was the first time… in ten years… that I've felt and heard such a soothing… almost motherly touch.

"Robin…" Mr. Edgeworth said, and I was surprised at the softness of his voice.

"Hm?" I asked, turning back to the man.

"Do you know the name of the man who… shot you?" he asked, going for the lesser of two evils. I shivered again.

"I…" I hesitated.

"Please. He wont be able to kill you now," Mr. Edgeworth said. I stared at him for a few moments before something clicked in me.

Snitch or not, there was now a hit on me. I would die either way if he caught me.

I might as well take him down with me.

With a nod, I pulled fully away from Kay, searching my pockets for the flash drive.

"His name is Patro Lium. He's head of security at Exxan. I… where is it?" My brow furrowed as I tried to think back. Did I drop it? No… I made sure it was pretty secure in my pocket—

I remember! Lium took it after he shot me. I tried to fight, but he struck me across the face…

"Damn," Mr. Edgeworth growled. I looked back up.

"What?"

"We can't try him again. Double Jeopardy," he frowned. I sighed softly, looking down. Of course.

"Well," Kay started thoughtfully. "Maybe not for Robin's parents' murders… but if they're not his only victims…" she said.

"They weren't. I had all of my evidence on my flash, but Lium took it when he shot me." I sighed. "And I can't hack into the private database from just any computer. It needs to be one on their network.

"Looks like the Yatagarasu has some work to do!" Kay said brightly, jumping to her feet. I looked after her, remembering that she was one and the same with the Great Thief. Her smile turned into a thoughtful look. "But I can't hack."

"I can," I said.

"Whoa, wait a minute," Mr. Edgeworth said, standing. Kay ignored him, turning to me, her eyes lighting up.

"That's right! And you're good, kid. I saw you lift those apples, and you got into the CEO's office without an issue…"

"Kay, no," Mr. Edgeworth said, only to be ignored again.

"Robin, this is a truth you yourself need to figure out as well. Perhaps more then anyone else. I don't extend this invitation lightly though. If you accept, it's for life."

"Kay, stop this madness!" Mr. Edgeworth snapped. My attention was riveted on the woman in front of me though.

"Invitation?"

"Robin… would you like to join the Yatagarasu?"

"Wha…?"

"OBJECTION!" Mr. Edgeworth yelled, making us both jump. I groaned slightly as it jolted my arm, making me realize the meds were wearing off. "Kay, I forbid you to pull anyone else into the foolishness! Besides, he's too young and you're too inexperienced!"

Kay's eyes narrowed, and she stood, stalking over to the Prosecutor.

"'Foolishness?' Remind me again, Mr. Edgeworth: who was it that made it possible for you to finally bring down the smuggling ring? Who bought justice to countless corrupt companies who were above the law and unable to be touched? Who bought evidence to light when the courts needed it to bring certain individuals down from their pedestals of power? If it weren't for my father and Detective Badd, there would be a LOT more corruption out there," she snapped.

"All through illegal means," Mr. Edgeworth snapped back.

"Which I know and I understand, but haven't you gone outside the bounds of a Prosecutor to bring down criminals? Wasn't it you who gave up your badge to save me, or acted as Mr. Wright's connection in changing the ENTIRE judicial system to bring down one man, simply because he framed your friend and got him disbarred, or who, and this is the best one, allowed a convict on DEATH ROW to continue practicing law in order to bring down and international spy? None of those sound exactly fully legal to me!" She shook her head. "My father wasn't perfect. He didn't have a spotless record. But you need to get off your damn high horse and stop acting like you do." She turned back to me, leaving the man speechless.

"Robin, the Yatagarasu is made up, usually, of three people. The first one was my father who was a prosecutor," she glanced over at Mr. Edgeworth, who was looking away, almost in shame, clutching his left arm. "A brilliant detective, and a defense attorney. They… well, most of them… devoted their lives to bringing about the truth and ending corruption. The second Yatagarasu is just me right now, but I wish to do the same. I can train you, and while I _am_ a little inexperienced, I feel the two of us together could really bring an end to corruption. What do you say?" she asked, extending a hand. I looked from it, up to her face, and back.

A chance to end corporate corruption. A chance to bring not just Patro Lium, but all of Exxan to justice.

A chance to stop this from ever happening to another kid again.

I took her hand with a determined smile.

"I'm in."

…

 **A/N:** So… Yeah. That argument between Edgeworth and Kay was TOTALLY unplanned, and it kind of wrote itself… but she made some really good points, don't you think?

I plan on writing a bonus chapter at the end of this tale doing the Logic Chess session in this chapter from Edgeworth's POV, so don't worry about that!

Next chapter? Training!

By the way, the shortest chapter in the outline turned out to be the longest so far in writing…


	8. Training

**A/N:** Here we go!

…

Chapter Eight: Training

 _Three Months Later – Kay's POV_

It took a full three months for Robin's arm to heal up. In that time, he slept on my couch, and we had Dr. Eldoon over a few times to check on him.

He even brought his infamous salty noodles with him a few nights! Robin thought they were disgusting at first ("they're too salty!"), but grew to love them by the end of these three months.

Robin and I also grew closer. He was hard headed and as stubborn as a mule sometimes (good thing he didn't stay at Mr. Edgeworth's), but he was a good kid.

I quietly opened my bedroom door and peeked into the living room. It was two in the morning, and I had taken to checking on him at night.

This morning, however, he wasn't on the couch. I quickly looked around, only to spot him standing at the bookshelf.

"Robin? Everything okay?" I asked. He jumped before looking around.

"Oh. Kay," he said with a weak smile before shrugging. I smiled when I didn't see a wince.

He really did make a full recovery.

"I'm okay. I just couldn't sleep," he said.

"Ah," I replied, going over to him. On my bookshelf was mainly knickknacks, with a few books. He pointed to a picture of two men.

"The first Yatagarasu?" he asked. I smiled warmly.

"Yeah. Dad and Uncle Badd… taking on the world together. They were close friends and amazing partners, you know," I explained.

"And the third member?"

"Ah. Calisto Yew." I sighed.

"Uh-oh. That doesn't sound happy," he observed. I smiled ruefully.

"It's not. See… Calisto Yew was not her real name. She wasn't even truly a Defense Attorney." I shook my head. "The first Yatagarasu banded together to bring down a smuggling operation. Yew was… part of that operation and acted as a double agent, planted into the Yatagarasu so the smuggling ring could stay once step ahead of them."

"I'm… sensing more to this story," he said, sounding hesitant.

"It's not. Calisto Yew killed my father."

"Oh…"

"I was ten at the time."

"I'm so sorry," he said. I smiled slightly with a shrug, wrapping an arm around him.

"It's okay. I managed to bring her to justice, with Mr. Edgeworth's help," I explained. He chuckled softly, shaking his head. "What?"

"Mr. Edgeworth. For all of his aloofness and 'detachment,' he really cares for his friends, huh?" he asked. I nodded with a warm smile.

"Oh yeah he does," I replied. Robin smiled slightly, continuing to look through the stuff on my bookshelf. His hand stopped on one of my books.

" _The Great Grief of the Great Thief,"_ he read. I smiled.

"You can go ahead and read that if you want. It's one of the few Norma DePlume books I actually like. It's a history on the first Yatagarasu. I made sure she kept it truthful," I admitted. He smiled, pulling it down.

"Alright. Thanks," he said. I nodded.

"Now, try to get some sleep kiddo. We start your training bright and early tomorrow!" I said, kissing his temple before letting my arm drop. He watched after me, seeming surprised, as I walked back to my room.

"G'night, Kay," he said, right before I closed my door. I smiled.

"Good night, Robin."

…

I wasn't lying. I was up before the sun, making breakfast. The sizzling sound and smell of bacon, eggs, and pancakes woke up his senses (most food normally does, actually). His head popped up from the pillow, revealing his face that had been smashed into the cloth. He sniffed the air first (I had suppress a laugh at that one) before his dark eyes finally peeled open.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty! Nice bed head," I said, motioning to his curls, which were sticking up at all kinds of odd angles. He grumbled, raking first his fingers, then a brush, through them. I smiled, shooing him.

"Go get in the shower. Then breakfast," I said.

"Alright, alright," he grumbled, standing and heading towards the bathroom. I listened for a few minutes, waiting for the water to start, before grinning, grabbing a bag from behind the counter and putting it in the bathroom for him.

I then returned to the food.

Just as I was dishing it out onto two plate and putting them on the table, Robin came out of the bathroom. I grinned when seeing him.

He was in a plain, black tee-shirt, black jeans, and sneakers, with a black belt. Hanging from that belt was a pair of gloves, also black. He wore a brand new fedora with the Yatagarasu badge pinned to it, and had a dark green bandana with a cloud print tied around his arm. I shook my head, going over.

"The bandana goes around your neck, loosely, so you can use it to hide you nose and mouth," I explained, untying it from around his arm and tying it around his neck. He reached up and touched it.

"Oh. Um, wow Kay, I don't know what to say. Um… thanks…" he said with a smile. I smiled warmly back.

"You're welcome. Now eat, before it gets cold," I gently chided him. He laughed, sitting down to do just that.

…

After breakfast, we began our training. I started with stealth, the bread and butter of a thief's trade.

He didn't need much work with that. Thanks to experience, he could sneak past me easily, let alone someone who's not trained in the art of hidden movement. His pick-pocketing skills (which surprised me) needed a lot of work, though.

"I never stole from people. I hated stealing for stores. So I just… never learned this skill," he admitted.

I wrote that down as one to work on. It was a good skill to have so that we could lift the keys off of a guard or something.

He was alright at distractions. My only fear with that would be that his own fear would get in the way of his focus when faced with people who would either arrest or kill him. Not that I blame him, but still.

Lock-picking, once he picked up the skill, was something he was good at. He actually picked that up a lot faster then me, considering I had to learn from Trucy Wright.

Around lunch, Athena Cykes came over to help with the last two pieces of training.

The first was hand-to-hand combat. Even I was still learning this (from Athena), so she was a great help to both of us. Robin was bad at this when it came to going on the offensive, but his dodging skills were top notch. He could dodge even Athena, which was a skill in of itself.

Finally, we had him attempt to hack Athena's personal computer, Widget, using my computer.

Athena said it was un-hackable.

Robin hacked it in three minutes and proved it by having it play "The Cha-Cha Slide."

"Hey!" she complained, putting her hand over where it hung at her neck. Robin grinned at her.

"What were you saying about it being un-hackable?" he asked. I laughed.

"Get out of Widget!" Athena complained.

"Okay, okay," he said, turning the song off before logging off my computer. I watched him wearily, making sure he didn't access anything he was supposed to. I was, however, getting ideas.

If Robin can hack things, that means he could hack a security system, shut it off, or even loop a clip of an empty hallway, making our lives even easier.

…

"Hey Robin," I said, leaning over the back of the couch. It was a few days after our initial training session. He was learning quickly, so I decided to give him today off while I ran a few errands. He looked up from where he was reading DePlume's book.

"Hey, Kay. What's up?" he asked. I smiled, carefully swinging a bag over the back of the couch.

"Got you some new things. I think you'll like them," I said. He gave me a curious look before putting the book down (he was already almost done it!?), and opening the bag. The first thing he pulled out was a small box.

"A phone?" he asked in confusion, looking up at me.

"Well, we need some way to keep in contact. I already activated it and put you on my plan."

"Is it expensive?" he asked. I smiled.

"Nope."

"Well… okay…" He reached back into the bag again, this time pulling out another box, this one a little bigger. He glanced up at me before opening it.

"A tablet?" he asked, his eyes lighting up.

"Yep. A ten inch Ace tablet with an attachable keyboard. It's portable, so you can bring it with on heists," I explained. He grinned hugely, running his fingers over it, before digging back in the bag, pulling out an even bigger box. He laughed.

"A laptop too? What, scared I'll hack yours?" he asked teasingly. I laughed,

"No." _Yes._ "This has a lot more space for you to put more programs on it then the tablet," I explained. He just smiled and reached in for the last object.

This one was a black cross back messenger bag with places to put all of his tech and other equipment. He ran his fingers over it before carefully placing it down on the couch and standing. I watched, confused, as he walked around it and over to me.

It really surprised me when he threw his arms around me in a hug. I froze for a moment before smiling warmly, hugging him tightly back.

"Thank you, Kay," he said. I gave him a tight squeeze.

"No problem, kiddo," I said, kissing the top of his head.

…

 **A/N:** I'm not too happy with how this chapter came out. It's mostly summary. I didn't however, know how else to do the training without dragging it out across four or five chapters and boring not only myself, but my readers as well.

Athena knows about Kay being the Yatagarasu. Kay kind of had to tell her when she asked Athena to train her in hand-to-hand combat, haha.

D'aw… Kay and Robin are getting so close! (Not romantically, though!) And Kay is totally a doting "mom."

For Robin's new bag, look up Cole MacGrath from InFAMOUS. That's the exact bag Robin now has. I don't know how else to explain it.

Kay's is a normal book bag.

Thanks again to WolfieRed23 for figuring out what Robin's outfit should look like! That's his heist outfit, by the way. He wears normal clothes normally (except for the fedora. He wears his hat all the time, haha.)

Next chapter is the beginning of the climax!


	9. History Repeats

**A/N:** Shit's about to go down! Here we go!

…

Chapter Nine: History Repeats

 _Robin's POV_

Five in the morning was entirely too early to wake up and go jogging. But, that's what Kay insisted on. I had to be at the peak of my physical fitness to be a great thief.

Kay, meanwhile, was gathering intel on Exxan's security. It was coming close to when we would be breaking into the company again, and she wanted no more surprises. Thankfully, her and Mr. Edgeworth had made up from their fight (especially considering he was her boss. She was his… Legal Assistant, I think they call them?) and they were working together on this, along with a detective named Suedshoes or something like that.

My job, currently, was to train as hard as I could to become the best thief I can become.

And that included jogging at five in the morning.

I finally reached a bench, just inside People Park, and decided to take a break. I was winded, but no where nearly as exhausted as I was when I first started my training routine. In fact, I felt really good now.

Like I could take on the world.

I leaned back on the bench, taking a few sips from my water bottle, before tipping my head back fully, watching the early birds on the street walk to work. Some looked tired, like they just woke up and rushed out the door. Other's looked like they'd been up for hours. I shook my head with a smile, continuing my people watching.

Suddenly, I saw the one person that made my blood freeze.

The slicked back blond hair and cold black eyes. Without thinking, I jumped to my feet and ran.

But he saw me. I know he saw me.

I could feel those black eyes trained on the back of my head, like crosshairs.

…

"Kay, you here!?" I yelled as I darted in.

Of course, she wasn't. I checked each and every room, only to find a note.

 _Robin._

 _Already on a case with Mr. Edgeworth and Gummy, then we'll look into Exxan. I won't be home until late tonight._

 _I'd say don't burn down the apartment, but that's not your style, haha. Instead, don't hack my computer._

 _There's $20 on the counter to order food._

 _Don't stay up too late, and don't forget your training._

 _Have a good day, kiddo!_

 _Kay_

I sat heavily in one of the dinning room chairs. Her, Mr. Edgeworth, and this – I checked the note again – 'Gummy' would be working all day today, and late at that. I picked up my cell, considering calling her or Mr. Edgeworth.

Since finding the note, though, my adrenaline has started to wear off, and I realized how foolish I was being.

Yes. There's no arguing that that was Patro Lium who I saw today. But whose to say that, even if he did see me, he'd recognize me? It's been three and a half months, and I've grown to a healthy weight full of wiry muscle. I've gotten my curly hair (mostly) under control, and it was hidden under a hood anyways.

And I held myself a lot more confidently now.

Besides, he thought I was dead. I read so in the email he sent to his boss not too long after he shot me. People only see what they're expecting to see, right? He wouldn't be expecting to see me alive, so he most likely didn't.

I was over reacting, that's all.

I smiled and put my phone away, rolling my eyes at Kay's note.

"Don't worry about me hacking you, Kay. Been there, done that," I muttered with a grin, getting up and grabbing some breakfast before getting to my training.

Someone was a huge Jammin' Ninja fan…

…

"Robin…" a soft voice called from above me, and I felt a now familiar hand playing with my curls. I smiled slightly, turning my head towards the hand.

"Hm?" I asked.

"Wake up. You should actually lay down to sleep," Kay said. I sighed, opening an eye and looking up at her. She had an amused grin on her face as she looked down at me.

"Hey…" I mumbled. She laughed.

"Hi. Have a party while I was working?" she asked, reaching into the pizza box sitting on the coffee table and pulling out a slice, munching on it. I shrugged slightly, moving my laptop and getting up, stretching.

"Maybe," I replied.

 _BANG BANG BANG!_

"Now who would be knocking on the door this time of night?" she questioned, looking over at the door. My stomach suddenly dropped, and ice crawled back into my veins.

Maybe I was wrong.

Maybe he _did_ recognize me.

I followed Kay to the door, where she looked out the peephole.

"Damn!" she hissed, dropping the pizza and whirling around, grabbing me.

"Wha?" I gasped as she shoved me into the closet.

"Don't make a noise," she said, quickly closing the door. I heard a click, and when I tried the knob, I found it knocked.

"Ka—"

 _CRASH!_

I bit my tongue. That was the front door. It _had_ to be Lium! I tried the knob again, logically knowing it wasn't going to work, but emotionally not caring.

"Get out of my house!"

"Where is he?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'll call the cops!"

"If he won't come out, maybe he'll come for you!"

"What!? No! Get back!"

 _Smack!_

A grunt.

"Try that again! I dare you!"

"Why you little… get back here!"

"Get out! No! Let me go!"

"OW! Stop biting me!"

 _Smack!_

A small cry of pain.

"Kay!" I yelled, slamming my hands against the door. They couldn't hear me over what sounded like the dinning room table and chairs being knocked over.

There was another cry of pain, then silence. I waited for a few minutes before banging on the door as hard as I could.

"Kay? Kay! Let me out! Are you okay!? What's going on?" I called.

There was no answer.

"Damn!" I hissed, kicking the door before looking around. I had to get out of here. Kay was hurt or in trouble or—

 _No. NO. I refuse to believe that!_ _I need to get out of here!_

That's when my training kicked in.

I pulled my phone out and used the light from it to check the lock on the door. It was a very basic one. One I could easily pick.

Shoving that back into my pocket, I pulled out my lock picking kit, courtesy of Kay, selected the correct tools, and got to work. It didn't take long before I heard the tumblers fall into place with a satisfying click, and I tried the door.

It opened.

I opened it only a crack and looked around. It looked like a war tore through the hallway, from the door to the dinning room, but there was no sign of movement. I opened the door a little more, careful to check in ever direction, before coming fully out and checking the apartment.

Nothing. No one was here.

Lium had taken Kay.

I closed my eyes for a moment, taking a few deep breaths, before remembering something I heard him say: "If he won't come out, maybe he'll come for you!"

He took Kay to lure me to Exxan.

Well, he succeeded.

It was time to end this.

I rushed around the apartment, grabbing my AceTablet along with anything else I might need.

I even grabbed Kay's Stun Baton and the Dart Gun she JUST got yesterday, before leaving the house.

I hesitated, looking at the door as I closed it behind me.

This might be the last time I see Kay's apartment… the first place I was able to call home in the last ten years.

Kay took me in and helped me, even when it had nothing to do with her personally. She gave me a home… and love.

And now she was in danger.

All because of me.

Shaking my head, I quickly ran forward, knowing I was heading into the hornets nest.

…

 **A/N:** And thus ends this one. Thank you, WolfieRed23, for the name of his tablet. I liked it too much to just call it "a tablet," hehe.

Poor Robin. What will he find at Exxan? Will he make it out of this alive? Will Kay be okay? Will he alert Edgeworth and Gummy – ahem – Gumeshoe? And why do I feel the need to ask thought provoking questions at the end of each chapter!?


	10. Return to Exxan

**A/N:** Here we go! My next chapter!

…

Chapter Ten: Return to Exxan

 _Kay's POV_

The first thing I noticed was the pounding in my head, originating from my right temple. Then I noticed the fact that I was on the floor. I sat up, putting a hand to my head as the pain pulsed a little stronger, and looked around.

I was in an archive room. There were shelves all around, full of bound journals, probably full of financial records and test results and—

Where was Robin? I quickly pushed myself to my feet and walked around, searching the room. It had to be underground. There were no windows, and only one door. I tried it, but it was locked.

"Hm…" I thought, reaching into my hair and pulling out a bobby pin, studying the lock.

It was digital. A keypad. A code.

"Damn," I hissed, pushing the pin back into my hair. I then looked around some more.

No sign of Robin.

That, at least, is a good sign. Maybe Lium didn't find him.

First thing's first: Check my supplies.

I didn't have my bag when Lium attacked, which narrows me down to what was in my pockets, considering I also didn't have my belt.

I had my house keys, a pad and pen, and my phone.

Excitedly, I checked it to see if I had service.

Of course not. That would be too easy. I was definitely under ground.

So, I had my useless phone.

My… useless camera phone.

I was in the archive room.

That probably contained _test results_. The real results. After all, even if they didn't released them to the public, they needed to keep them for their own reference.

I quickly dug through the files, searching until I found what I wanted.

"Bingo," I said with a smirk. "Looks like my hunch was correct."

I began to snap pictures of as many documents as I could, knowing now that I couldn't do anything else but wait for a rescue.

…

 **A/N:** Short chapter, I know. See, what happened was that this story was originally going to be third person. I wrote the first chapter and kept it third, as you saw, but after writing the second chapter in third person, I didn't like it.

Well, this chapter and the next chapter were supposed to be the same chapter, but after making it first person, Kay's POV wouldn't have worked for the second half, and I didn't know how to change it, so…

Yeah.

Sorry!


	11. Rescue

**A/N** : This'll probably be just as short as the last chapter. Sorry!

…

Chapter Eleven: Rescue

 _Robin's POV_

The first thing I did when I got to Exxan was go around back. There weren't any cameras here, but I was still close enough to hook up to their network with my AceTablet. I quickly hacked into the security system, using it first to find where Kay was being held, then shutting it off.

I smiled slightly when I found her though. She was busy taking pictures of files with her phone. Collecting evidence.

I then shut off the alarms and entered the building, watching my tablet. Right before shutting down the cameras, I had downloaded a schematic of the patrol routs.

It was slow going, but finally I found my way down to the archive room.

I also discovered why Kay didn't just escape on her own.

It was a digital lock, unlock-able from both the inside and out. I shook my head, pulling a wire from my bag and attaching it to both the keypad and my tablet.

I then ran a program I slapped together this morning (thank you coding lessons from YouTube). The purpose was for the program to enter a keypad and search its coding for the correct pin.

Lines of code flashed across my tablet screen, and I quickly scanned them until I found what I needed.

'5-3-6-9' I carefully punched the number in, and the lock emitted a soft beep, unlocking the door. I carefully pushed it open, slipping in and looking around.

"KYAH!" a voice suddenly sounded from behind me. Next thing I knew, I was winded, on my back, with a knee digging into my solar plexus, the dart gun that had been in the holster on my hip now against my forehead.

"I see you've been practicing," I managed to wheeze out.

"Robin!?" Kay gasped before looking at the gun in shock, letting me up. "Where did you get a gun?"

"It's your dart gun," I reminded her, rubbing my stomach.

"Oh."

"Are you okay?"

"Yes. You?"

"Yep. And I knocked out all of the cameras and alarms," I announced, tossing her bag to her. She caught it was a smile, keeping the dart gun.

"Good. The baton, too please."

"What about protecting myself?" I demanded. She hesitated, seeing the wisdom in that.

"Well… oh fine. Just be careful."

"I will," I promised before looking around. "You know, once we leave here, we probably wont get another chance to snoop," I said.

"That's why we're going through with the plan tonight," she announced, checking everything in her bag before nodding. "Come on."

"Oh? Oh! Um, okay," I said, following her.

…

The CEO's office. This was my second time, Kay's third, being here.

This time, however, we would reach the truth.

…

 **A/N:** Another short one. I know, I know! I'm sorry!


	12. Answers

**A/N:** Okay, this will be the last first person chapter (other then the promised bonus, of course). After this one, there will be only two more main story chapters. I am going to try my hardest to finish this before this weekend, because I have family coming up for Memorial Day/my Graduation party.

But I start work tomorrow, so we'll see…

Anyways, FORWARD!

…

Chapter 12: Answers

 _Kay's POV_

The first thing we did when we entered the CEO's office was split up. I would search the paper files while Robin hacked the computer and just downloaded _everything_.

After all, who knew what these people had done since the corruption has started.

I combed through the papers, taking pictures of anything that looked remotely suspicious. I knew Mr. Edgeworth would need every ounce of evidence he could get his hands on to fight these people, and I wanted to make sure I could help him.

That's why, when I found a lock box, I picked the lock instantly. Thankfully, Robin had taken to his training well. One of the first rules of being a thief was to be prepared. And to make sure your mentor/partner was too.

Inside the lock box was a huge, thick file.

Inside the file were documents. I quickly flipped through them, noting that they were employee applications, each with a picture clipped to them.

Across the picture was a big, red x.

Halfway through the file, I found the application of Lark Trio.

There was a red x across his picture.

"Robin," I said, standing and turning. He looked up from where he was studying the computer. "I found the – WATCH OUT!" I dropped the papers, diving forward, but I was too late. Lium, who must have snuck through the door and up behind Robin, suddenly grabbed him. One arm around his neck, a gun to his temple.

This one wasn't a dart gun.

Robin grabbed at the man's arm, trying to pull it away.

"Ah, ah. I wouldn't do that if I were you," he said with a smirk. While he was distracted with Robin, I reached into my pocket, where my phone was. As soon as we hit the lobby, I had service again. It was with this service that I texted 'SOS EXXAN' to Gumeshoe.

"Robin, enough," I said as soon as I was sure the text sent. He stopped, and I let out a sigh of relief, grateful Lium didn't shoot him for his struggles.

"Well, well. Looks like I got two for one," Lium said with a smirk.

"Cute," I replied, knowing I was that one. He smirked again, pressing the gun closer to Robin's head.

"So why'd you do it?" I blurted out, causing Lium to hesitate.

"Do what?"

"Kill Robin's parents, of course. I mean, I know you were ordered to," I admitted, holding up the file. "But _why_?"

"Ah, that." He looked between me and his captive before shrugging. "What the hell. I'm going to kill you both anyway. I might as well tell you." He leaned in close to Robin's ear. "Remember when I told you that your daddy had a big mouth, and he was going to _snitch?_ " Robin jerked away at that last word, his face turning white with a tint of green. He chuckled at that. "Well, that's because he found out about my extra… services to the company." He nodded to the folder. "Rather the go to the police like a good little boy, he first went to the CEO and confronted him. So, Mr. Azul sent me to kill him. Simple as that."

"He had evidence against you. He must have. Did you ever find it?" I asked. A scowl crossed Lium's face.

"No, never. But then, little Robin here must have never found it either." He gave Robin an almost hug-like squeeze. Robin looked like he was going to be sick. I frowned, wishing someone else was here.

Was Mr. Edgeworth right? Was my inexperience going to get Robin killed?

No. No, I just needed to keep him talking. I needed to give Gumshoe and Mr. Edgeworth time to make it here.

For Robin's sake.

…

 **A/N:** Okay… sorry about it being short again. Buuuuuut… things are reaching the high point now!

Hopefully I can write the next two chapters in third… (Or maybe I could just switch to Edgeworth's POV… we'll see…)


	13. SOS

**A/N:** So, after looking at my outline again, I decided these last two chapters just will _not_ work from Edgeworth's (or anyone's) point of view. I also decided to just merge these two, since they're both short (although the first part is action packed!)

Oh well!

I imagine Edgeworth to be nearsighted, thus the glasses when he's driving and investigating, but not while in court.

Here we go!

(Don't hate me too much please!)

…

Chapter Thirteen: SOS

 _Third POV_

"Mr. Edgeworth, sir! We found the murder weapon," Gumshoe said, going over to his superior. The Chief Prosecutor had decided to take a case (very unusual for the Chief Prosecutor), in order to keep his mind off of his worry for Kay and Robin. Unfortunately, it wasn't working.

"Hm? Oh, good job, Gumshoe," the preoccupied man hummed. Gumshoe sighed, his own worry gnawing away at him.

"Sir… do you think something's happening? Like… a squirmy feeling in your gut?" he asked.

"What!?" Edgeworth gasped, surprised the detective could tell. He took a deep, calming breath, regained his composure, and crossed his arms, tapping the inside of his right arm with his left handed fingers. "It's more then that, Detective. Her phone went straight to voicemail when I called her about this case," he admitted.

"What?" Gumshoe gasped, surprised at that. Edgeworth shook his head.

"It doesn't matter though. Come on, let's continue our investigation," the prosecutor said, turning to where the body was.

However, they didn't have much time to look before Gumshoe's phone went off. He pulled it out, opening the text.

"S-s-sir!?" he cried. Edgeworth turned to look at the detective, only to see how pale he had tuned.

"Gumshoe? What is it?" he asked, coming over. Gumshoe swallowed hard, turning the phone to show him the text.

"It's from Kay," he admitted. Edgeworth frowned, lifting his glasses to see the words at a closer distance.

' _SOS EXXAN_ '

"Damn!" Edgeworth hissed, whipping out his phone. "Gumshoe, call one of your other detectives. I'm going to call Gavin to take over this case," he said, putting the phone to his ear.

…

Kay had to keep Lium talking. She needed to give Gumshoe and Edgeworth time to get the SOS and get there. She couldn't think of a way to get Robin away from the psycho holding him, and obviously, neither could he.

It was that gun that was the issue.

"I grow bored of this," he suddenly said. "No amount of talking will save you. After all, didn't you shut off the alarms?" he added, leaning close to Robin's ear. He shivered slightly at the feel of his breath on his ear, his heart pounding. "No alarms, no police."

"W-wait!" Kay tied, but Lium simply laughed at her.

"For what? No, it's time to end this." He pressed the gun tighter to Robin's temple, and tightened his finger around the trigger. Robin closed his eyes and clamped his mouth shut, determined not to give Lium the pleasure of any fear induced sound escaping him.

Everything happened so fast. Gumshoe threw open the door, saw what was happening, and dove forward, grabbing Lium's gun hand and wrenching it up.

 _BANG!_

Dust rained down on the struggling pair. Gumshoe grabbed the back of Robin's shirt, pulled him from Lium's grasp, and tossed him out of the way of danger.

Lium fought back, bringing his free hand forward in a fist and slamming it across Gumshoe's face. The detective simply grunted, keeping a tight grasp on Lium's gun hand as he tried to disarm him.

Robin, meanwhile, had slid across the floor on his side, his heart going a mile a minute.

"Robin!" Kay called as she and Edgeworth started towards the boy.

Lium slammed Gumshoe into the wall. The detective lost his grip on the man's gun hand, and earned a pistol whip in the face for his trouble.

The killer then whirled around, bringing his gun up.

His eyes locked with Robin's.

 _BANG!_

"NO!" Kay screamed as Robin gasped in pain, his eyes widening. His hands clutched at his stomach, where the bullet had entered.

This one bled a lot more then his arm wound.

"No!" Gumshoe yelled, diving forward and tackling Lium to the ground.

Lium finally released the gun, and it skittered across the ground, coming to a stop at Edgeworth's feet. He picked it up, moving closer to the two men while Kay tried to help Robin.

"Freeze," he said grimly, the gun trained solely on Lium. He looked up and scowled at the prosecutor, but finally did as he was told. Gumshoe quickly handcuffed and searched him before sitting him against the wall. Edgeworth took a shaky breath, stepping back and unloading the magazine from the gun.

"Come on, Robin, please, you have to stay awake," Kay said, cradling Robin's head in her lap. Gumshoe took the gun from Edgeworth, placing it in an evidence bag, before quickly going over to where the other two was.

Robin was pale with blood pooled around him. His dark eyes were glazed over from pain. Kay had taken her father's blue bandana from her arm and had it pressed tightly over the hole in his stomach with one hand, her other running through his curls. Gumshoe immediately kneeled next to those two, taking over keeping pressure on his wound. Edgeworth stepped back, pulling his phone out again.

"911? This is Prosecutor Edgeworth. Yes, I need an ambulance. The Exxan building, CEO's office. A young boy was shot in the stomach. Please, hurry."

Just then, Robin's head rolled to the side.

"Robin!? Robin! NO! Don't do this! Not now!" Kay cried, shaking the boy's shoulder. "Please, please wake up! We finally have the evidence! Please!" She buried her face into his curls, sobbing. Gumshoe and Edgeworth glanced at each other, equal amounts of surprise and fear.

…

Gumshoe, Edgeworth, and Kay sat in a hospital room, Kay's face buried in Edgeworth's chest. Gumshoe stood a little away from them, discussing the case with the chief of police. The three had decided to wait until Kay released the evidence her and Robin found to the media to bring up those murder charges, but Lium was currently being charged with attempted murder in the first degree, breaking and entering, kidnapping, and assault of an officer.

Kay finally looked up at Edgeworth, her eyes red-rimmed and puffy.

"You were right," she breathed.

"About what?" Edgeworth asked, surprised.

"He was too young. I shouldn't have invited him to join the Yatagarasu. He… he—" Kay's voice caught in her throat, and she had to swallow. "This is all my fault…"

"No, Kay," Edgeworth said firmly, taking his Legal Aid by the shoulders. Kay looked up at him in surprise. "Part of the Yatagarasu or not, Robin would have tried to break into Exxan again. And he would have been at a much bigger disadvantage. You gave him a place to call home and a place to belong in the world – something he hasn't felt since he was ten. And… if I'm not mistaken, you love him."

"Like a son." She chuckled, shaking her head. "Or a nephew or little brother." She sighed. "I… I wanted to adopted him, Mr. Edgeworth."

"Oh…"

"Don't start speaking in past tense about him yet, Miss. Faraday."

Both Edgeworth and Kay looked up in surprise. A doctor stood in front of them with a tired smile.

"How—?"

"He made it through. It was a little touch and go, but we managed to get the delivery from the blood bank in time," the doctor explained. Kay smiled weakly, giving vent to a watery chuckle. Edgeworth even smiled at this news.

"Can we…?" Kay started to ask.

"Of course. He's going to be asleep for a bit longer, though," the doctor explained. Kay nodded, grabbing Edgeworth's arm and dragging him over to Gumshoe, grabbing his arm as well. She then dragged both of them back to Robin's room.

Robin was still asleep when the three entered the room, and slept late into the night the day after everything happened at Exxan.

"Hm?" he mumbled when he finally woke, his head turning slightly. Gumshoe was asleep in one of the chairs, Edgeworth in another. Kay had her chair pulled up close to the bed and was stroking Robin's curls. She pulled her hand back at his movement.

"Hey sleepy head. How do you feel?" she asked in a soft, soothing tone. Robin opened his eyes slightly and looked over at Kay, studying her puffy eyes for a moment, before frowning down at his stomach.

"Ow."

Kay laughed at that, relief spreading through her. She carefully leaned forward and hugged him, kissing the top of his head.

"I'm so happy you're okay," she said.

"Same here…" he mumbled against her shoulder, causing Kay to laugh again. "What happened? Did Lium… get away?" Robin asked once Kay finally pulled back. She smiled warmly.

"Nope. He's currently being charged with attempted murder, kidnapping, and a few other things. And tomorrow, this," she held up Robin's flash drive, along with a white card with a black Yatagarasu symbol on it, "Is being sent to CBA News. Mr. Edgeworth is going to take his case personally."

"Good," Robin said with a smile, closing his eyes with a yawn.

"Still tired?" Kay asked, softening her voice. Robin simply nodded, but opened his eyes again.

"You were crying," he pointed out.

"Of course, bone head," Kay said with a huff, before looking down. "Actually… I want to ask you something."

"Oh?"

"You don't have to say yes. I won't kick you out or anything if you say no."

"Spit it out, Kay."

"Robin… I want to adopt you. Give you a real home with at lease one family member you can trust and love," she said. Robin looked shocked for a moment before looking down.

"Kay… you apartment _is_ a real home, and I already see you as real family that I… that I trust and love," he admitted before looking up at her with a smile. "But… so long as I don't have to start calling you 'Mom,' then yes."

"Please don't. It'll make me feel old to have someone who's sixteen calling me 'Mom'," Kay said with a laugh. Robin joined in for a moment, before groaning, putting a hand to his stomach.

"Oops," Kay muttered. Robin shook his head with a smile, looking up at the woman who started hovering over him.

"Kay?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks."

…

 **A/N:** The end! Well, except for my bonus chapter, which is basically already written, so…

Almost the end!

Then I have to get to planning _Phantom Investigation_ , which will be a direct sequel to this.

Well, until next time!


	14. Bonus: Checkmate Redux

**A/N:** As promised, the bonus chapter! This was all written out before I did chapter seven's version from Robin's point of view, heh.

Sorry for all the italics. Those are all Edgeworth's thoughts and what-not.

…

Bonus Chapter: Checkmate Redux

 _Miles' POV_

I studied the young boy in front of me for a moment, taking in his fearful eyes as they stared at me. It actually amused me that he was trying to have a staring contest with me. I smirked, shook my head, studied him for a moment more, then took a deep breath, focusing solely on him. In my mind, everything disappeared until it was just the two of us.

 _First let us assess the layout of the board. My opponent's condition is…_

As I had that thought, three black chess pieces, two pawns and one queen, appeared in front of Robin. He kept his lips pressed tightly together, studying me. He simply watched me closely, staying quiet.

 _He's scared, but determined. Ten years of keeping quite has made him quite experienced in this… But he has no poker face. Fear is etched in every line of his body. The overwhelming fear, actually, might make it harder to know when and what to press…_

 _Now, for the opening move. I shall start with why he broke into Exxan last night. He might be more willing to talk about that then his parent's murder…_

With that thought in mind, I took a deep breath and began."Why did you break into Exxan last night?"

"I… I wanted information. I needed to know—" he cut himself off, almost as though he was worried about revealing too much. Clearly, I needed to press this.

"Needed to know what?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all. What would a sixteen year old homeless kid like me have to do with a company like that?" He began to shiver, more fear entering his body language. There was an opening here:

Press: _Didn't your father work there?_

Wait and see.

I decided to press him. A white pawn sprang up in front of me as I prepared myself for my move.

"You had something to do with that company before you became homeless, Robin. Your father worked there before he passed away," I pointed out. My white pawn moved forward and attempted to capture his first black pawn. The assault shook him, but I failed in capturing his pawn.

" W-well… I was six! That still has nothing to do with me… Dad never talked about work with me. I know nothing," he replied. Two more choices opened up here:

Press: _And that was why you broke in?_

Wait and see.

Going by his reactions, I knew making a move here would be a bad idea. Instead, I simply waited. Robin hesitated a moment before biting his lip.

"Look, Mr. Edgeworth, I'm… really tired. Can I go to sleep?" he asked. I shook my head. I couldn't let him go that easily.

"I'm sorry, Robin, but breaking and entering is a crime. If you wish to not go to jail, then I need to know what you were doing there," I explained.

"W-wait… jail? But I'm only sixteen… you can't try me as an adult… Besides, it's not like I hurt anyone. I'm the one who got shot by—" He cut himself off again, shivering harder here. I could see the horror rolling through him. Another opening:

Press: _By who, Robin?_

Wait and see.

I decided to make my move. Another white pawn appeared in front of me, and I sent it forward. "Who did you get shot by, Robin? It's almost as though you know your attacker." This time, my pawn succeeded in capturing his black pawn. He jerked back, shivering more.

"I… no! I… I don't know him! I've never seen him before in my life!" He took a few deep breath, and the shivering stopped. "I've never met the man who shot me until last night…"

 _I am positive that he's hiding something. He's scared. This will be hard. For my next move… I'll ask him about why he was in the Persecutor Building's parking garage the other night. His emotions are buried under his fear. I will break through that fear to expose the truth!_

With these thoughts, I smiled at Robin, hoping to put him at ease. "How about a change of topic? Why were you in that parking garage the other night? I know there are plenty of other warm places for someone in your position to sleep at night."

"Oh. Um. Well… I wasn't… that close to my usual places that night… and it was getting late…" he explained. An opening:

Question: _Why weren't you near your usual spots?_

Question: _Why did you pick somewhere so hard to get into?_

Wait and see.

I needed to ask him something here. The question was, what should I ask him? Both were good questions, but if I was honest with myself, the first question would probably go a lot smoother.

A white pawn appeared in front of me, and I pushed it forward. "Why weren't you near your usual spots?" the pawn failed in capturing his piece, but it still managed to get an answer out of him.

"Well, I was hungry… and I wanted something other then dumpster scraps, so… I went to the grocery store that night…"

I pictured that area in my mind for a moment before looking curiously at him.

"The grocery store is quite far from that specific parking garage. How did you end up there?"

"A cop chased me out of the store. I lost him in a condemned building…" Robin explained. I had a sinking suspicion as to who this cop was… An opening appeared here:

Press: _What did the cop look like?_

Press: _What happened once you lost him?_

Wait and see.

If I waited, I would get no answers. The first point would be pointless. After all, I could simply ask Gumshoe if he was the one that chased Robin the other night. This left one option.

A white pawn appeared in front of me. "There is only one condemned building in that area, and it's still quite the hike from there to that garage. So tell me, Robin, what happened after you lost him?" Again, the pawn failed in capturing his, but it shook him up even more then before.

"W-well… I… um… hung out for a bit… ate one of my apples… and then found that parking garage… I just wanted somewhere to sleep, and it seemed the most secure," he explained.

 _The most secure? That might be a clue…_

With that in mind, I returned to one of my earlier questions. Another pawn appeared in front of me. "Why did you pick somewhere so hard to get into to sleep, Robin? After all, unless you're skinny enough, and athletic enough, to jump the gate, one would need an ID card to get in there that time of night." The pawn failed again at capturing his, leaving the two still in front of the boy.

"I don't know. I just picked it. There was no specific reason…"

I shook my head with a smirk. _Let's try using that clue:_

Press: _I thought you said you wanted somewhere secure!_

Wait and see.

I had him at check now. A white knight appeared in front of me, and I pointed at the boy.

"You just said that you 'just wanted somewhere to sleep' and that it seemed 'the most secure.' Ergo, that tells me you looked specifically for a place to hide that not just anyone could get into!" The knight didn't capture his pawn, but it definitely shook things up for Robin.

"Huh!? No! I just… why wouldn't I want somewhere secure to sleep?"

"That just seemed like a very specific way to word it. After all, I know most people in your position would prefer warmth and comfort rather then security. That parking garage offers neither warmth or comfort!" I reasoned out for him. He bit his lip, and I could see panic coursing through him.

"I… I… I just picked a stupid place, okay!?"

Another opening:

Press: _You're scared, aren't you?_

Wait and see.

I could tell, in his panic, it would be impossible to get another answer out of Robin. Especially if I pointed out his fear. Instead, I stayed quiet and let him make the next move. He took a few deep breaths and looked away.

"It was just a place to sleep. I'm sorry if I dirtied up your car in the process," he said. I could hear his bitterness, but ignored it.

"There wasn't even a speck of dirt on it, Robin. Do not worry about that. I just want to understand what's going on with you," I explained, earning a sigh from him.

"I was in the area, and I just wanted somewhere to sleep, that's all. I just happened to run by that building, and decided it would be the best place." One word stuck with me.

"Run? Why would you be running?" I asked.

"Um… Exercise?" he seemed to be stalling. A perfect opening:

Press: _At that time of night?_

Press: _With how skinny you already are?_

Wait and see.

A white pawn appeared in front of me and I moved it forward. "At that time of night, when you were looking for somewhere to sleep, with only an apple in your stomach? Robin, your story is falling apart," I said. My pawn succeeded in capturing his, leaving just the queen.

"Wha!? I… I just… you just can't…" He was shivering again, and this time, couldn't seem to stop it. "I just needed somewhere safe to hide."

 _He's starting to realize he can't hide the truth from me. One last push. I'll ask him about why he needed somewhere safe to hide. It's time for him to face his fear!_

There were two moves open to me here:

Question: _Why did you need somewhere safe?_

Question: _Who were you hiding from?_

I decided to go with the first question. "Why did you need somewhere safe to hide?"

I…" he hesitated here. "There are all kinds of creeps out there, and I'm just a young kid. Why wouldn't I need somewhere safe to hide?" he demanded. I rose an eyebrow at his answer.

"You're saying you were afraid of a creep? So you are actually admitting that you were hiding? If that were the case though, why don't you hide every night!?"

"I… uh… that… Sometimes it just… can't be helped!" he replied. I studied the board in between us, seeing yet another opening.

Press: _That's not a real answer._

Wait and see.

At this point, waiting for the next opening would be safer.

"I'm not always near a safe place once it gets late," he explained once he was a little calmer.

"Why don't you just stick close to the safe places you find?"

"Well, I'm always moving to stay hidden," he replied, and I instantly spotted the opening:

Press: _Why do you want to stay hidden?_

Wait and see.

I smirked, a pawn appearing before me. "That seems a little odd. I would think someone would stay somewhere safe if they were scared of creeps, rather then trying to stay hidden. It wasn't creeps you were hiding from, was it!?" I demanded, pointing at him. My pawn failed in capturing his queen, but I was much closer to the truth now.

"W-well… I… creeps are a real threat you know…" he muttered, and I could tell he was definitely stalling this time.

 _He wanted to hide that specific night, not stay safe. This could be a clue._

I decided to return to an earlier question.

"Robin, who were you hiding from that night?"

"I was hiding from creeps who would try to take advantage of me, that's all," he replied. I smirked, shaking my head.

 _Let's try using that clue._

Press: _It wasn't creeps!_

Wait and see.

A bishop appeared before me, and I moved it towards his queen. "Robin, someone in your position would want to stay somewhere _safe_ if it was from an everyday threat. You said you want to stay _hidden_ , which one wouldn't do from a threat like that," I pointed out. The bishop failed to capture his, but Robin was very shaken at that point.

"Wha!?" he gasped.

"I need to know the truth, Robin. I want to help you and bring your parent's killer to justice. You need to tell me everything!" I continued to press, not letting up on the poor kid.

"I… I can't. I just… I can't snitch on him…" Another move just opened up.

Press: _Snitches get stitches!_

Press: _Snitch? On who?_

Wait and see.

A pawn appeared before me as I decided to press the second point. "Robin, it's not snitching. It's telling the truth to bring justice about." I slammed my hand down on the coffee table between us, just as I would in court. "I need the truth!" The queen again evaded capture, but the truth was so close now.

"I… I…" Robin was starting to have a break down. His breath was coming faster, and his shivering got even harder. "Who said anything about snitching?"

"You just did! Who is it, Robin? Who are you protecting!?" I demanded.

"Protecting…? I'm not—" One last opening, the endgame, appeared on the board:

Press: _It's your parents' killer!_

Press: _It's your father!_

Wait and see.

And suddenly, the answer was clear as day to me.

One last pawn appeared before me.

"Allow me to answer you. You're protecting the killer of your parents. He threatened you, causing you to stay hidden all these years. Then, he saw you chased you the other night, prompting you to climb into the parking garage, where we first met. He works for Exxan, where your father worked, and you wanted to know why he killed your parents, so you broke into Exxan last night. Unfortunately, an alarm was triggered, and he found you and shot you in the arm," I explained. This time, the queen didn't evade capture. Robin's secret, the King in this game of chess, was unprotected.

Tears appeared in his eyes. "No…" he weakly denied, before realizing he could no longer hide the truth. "No! I can't snitch on him! He'll kill me!" he cried. I simply nodded.

"Hmph. Checkmate."

…

 **A/N:** Onto planning _Phantom Investigation_ now!


End file.
